United Methodist’s focus for the next 4 years

I traveled with the Alaska delegation to the United Methodist Quadrennial Training event in Jacksonville this past weekend. There were 1200 UM clergy and lay leaders from around the country. We met to follow up on General Conference initiatives.

Our focus for the next four years:1. Develop more leaders2. Create new places for new people3. Eliminate poverty4. Improve healthy globally

Bottom Line: Invest your money, time and human resources in young adults = more young clergy

Starting New Faith Communities

Be very intentional about screening new church pastors – do 3-4 days of assessment, will save thousands of $$’s down the road

Some are great pastors, but not planters

Invest in pastors – boot camp

Support new start pastors

Communicate very clearly what DNA is transferred & what’s organic

Be a community leader – GET OUT in the community

Before appointment is read – bring in leadership from area churches & ask for support (prayer, housing, etc) – meet again before July 1 – sign covenant – don’t just meet with the senior pastor (they forget)

Goals that lag depend on more than money Food to families, girls to schools, breaking silence about stigmatized diseases US farmers dropping subsidies that trap Africans in unfair competition Ending rural oppression that feeds urban slums

Opposite of social injustice = bepheloHealth comes from relationships in our lives that give us life & wholeness Before we need treatment or program One can’t say Bophelo and mean faith without health, health without faith

Covenant between pastors in town

Assets are only accessible across human webs of trust – that’s what gets science into the hands that need it

How do you have an outbreak of life? Instead of starting with a negative epidemic

Wesleyan Epidemic: 22nd century integrated world view based on grace, love, service, reasons, small group social accountability, communications, justice

“There’s no reason on earth that this Wesleyan epidemic can’t finish this fight”

See the power and relevance of our assets, to get science and faith into neighborhoods, especially through our 8 million people

The whole Methodist movement is for health, even to where the ends of the globe we touch each for God’s hope for wholeness.